«Issues of digital governance affect us all»
With the new digital foreign policy strategy, the Federal Council is underlining the importance of new technologies for Switzerland's foreign policy. International Geneva offers states, companies, organizations, science and citizens a platform for broad discussion. One example of this is the Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behavior in Cyberspace launched by the FDFA, says Jon Fanzun, Special Envoy for Cyber
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Mr. Fanzun, you are currently holding the Geneva Dialogue in virtual form. What questions will be discussed there?
In 2015, the international community agreed on standards for responsible state behavior in cyberspace. However, many of these standards can only be implemented in cooperation with the private sector. This is because digital technologies are mainly developed and implemented by companies, not states. In the Geneva Dialogue, we are therefore talking about how companies can meet their responsibilities in this context. For example, by adapting their internal processes so that products are more secure and vulnerabilities are disclosed in a timely manner. In this context, we have identified good practices and are planning to jointly formulate minimum requirements for products.
Who participates in this dialogue?
Currently, 15 companies are participating in the dialogue - from Switzerland, but also Europe, the USA, China, India and Russia. Specifically, these are BI.ZONE (Sber Group), Cisco, Ensign Infosecurity, FireEye, Huawei, Kaspersky, Microsoft, Papua New Guinea ICT Cluster, SICPA, Siemens, SwissRe, Tata Consultancy Services, UBS, Wisekey, and Vu Security. Other organizations such as the WEF (Centre for Cybersecurity), ETH Zurich and ICT4Peace are also participating in the dialogue as observers.
By showing that companies from very different regions of the world can agree on common standards, we are making a concrete contribution to mutual understanding.
Your office has launched the dialogue. What is your goal with it?
We want to establish Switzerland, and in particular international Geneva, as a place in the digital space where new paths are being taken to find solutions to pressing problems. And the growing tech geopolitics is a problem that is leading to growing conflicts. By showing that companies from very different regions of the world can agree on common standards, we are making a concrete contribution to understanding. The Geneva Dialogue is a concrete implementation of the Federal Council's digital foreign policy strategy.
Why is it important that business, science, organizations and citizens address issues of digital governance?
Questions of digital governance affect us all because we are becoming more and more connected and therefore more dependent on digital technologies. We have long since become accustomed to communicating with friends and family via text messages rather than letters. This also raises the question of how secure these services are and whether they adequately protect our data.
Issues of digital governance affect us all because we are becoming more and more interconnected and therefore more dependent on digital technologies.
What exactly is digital governance?
Internationally, the rules that apply to the digital space are still a patchwork. For example, new technologies such as artificial intelligence also pose new questions for regulation. If new institutional and regulatory systems or mechanisms for international cooperation are established, this is referred to as digital governance.
Why is international Geneva an ideal hub for digital governance issues?
International Geneva already plays an important role in global digital policy. Several organizations that are important for this topic are based in Geneva as the operational hub of the UN system, such as the IGF Secretariat, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the World Economic Forum (WEF). In addition to this digital cluster, digitalization also affects other traditional topics of International Geneva and has an impact on the work of other international organizations, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Human Rights Council and the ICRC.
What role does Geneva play in the federal government’s digital foreign policy – and what are the main focuses of digital foreign policy?
Geneva is to be further strengthened as part of the digital foreign policy. The Federal Council's new Digital Foreign Policy Strategy 2021-24 sets four ambitious priorities: Switzerland should become more involved in the development of digital governance and position Geneva as a location, it should commit itself to the use of digital technologies for prosperity and sustainable development, work with the private sector in the area of
cybersecurity and contribute to conflict resolution with good offices, and promote digital self-determination.
Contact
General Secretariat GS-FDFA
Federal Palace West
3003 Bern